Halo: Only Human
by OpticSniper2K
Summary: An Orbital Drop Shock Trooper returns after losing everything, slowly losing his humanity. Will he be nothing but a soldier, or will a certain Spartan show him that he is only human? Halo: Reach AU. [m] ODST OC x [f] Noble Six. Rated M for language and 'things' to come.
1. 1) Homecoming

**Author's note: This is my first fanfic, so give me some constructive criticism. I'll try my best to improve of whatever is wrong with it. Well... enjoy I guess. I DO NOT OWN HALO but damn do I wish...  
**

Chapter 1

Homecoming

June 3rd, 2552 21:00 Hours

* * *

The pitter-patter of rain woke Lieutenant Colonel O'Donnell from his dreamless sleep. He was on Eridanus for 3 months, with only 2 days of rations left. The bullet wounds in his arm dug deep, and he was running low on biofoam. He flatly stood up, clipped his M7S SMG to his thigh plate, and picked up his twin M6C/S magnums and stepped out of his makeshift tent.

"Damnit... thought I'd be out of here by now. Well... I'll just ha-"

Mark was cut off by a crackling sound coming from his radio. After 2 and a half months, the radio finally started working. Mark was about to do a happy dance, but there was no time for that. This was his chance to get off this living hell. Mark sprinted to the radio across camp, changed the frequency to 00 and said

"This is Lieutenant Colonel O'Donnell to anyone out there requesting immediate evac! I repeat I request immediate evac I am in the blind here!"

The radio had static for a bit, but a voice finally came through."This is fleet admiral Campbell of the UNSC Winter Solstice I hear you loud and clear LC. What is your status?"

"I'm moderately wounded, but otherwise able to move sir." Mark replied.

"Alright, I'm sending a Pelican due east of your location, about a mile of where you are."

"Copy,I'll be there in a few mikes, O'Donnell out."

Mark packed up his gear, put on his helmet, and sprinted towards the LZ. He was in a lot of pain, but didn't really mind it much, for he knew he'd be able to rest soon. After 5 minutes, Mark finally arrived at the Pelican. Marines hopped out to help him on as a medic was bringing out a case.

"Don't worry sir, I'll take care of your wounds. Remove your vambrace and roll up your sleeve please." the medic told him. Mark did as he was told and removed the piece of armor.

"I'll just take this biofoam here and..."

"Nnnng... fuck that stings..." Mark mumbled as he winced in pain.

"Don't worry; it'll only sting for a few moments." Mark finally started to relax as the medic wrapped his arm in gauze. He thanked the medic with a nod as he put his sleeve down and put the vambrace back on. The Pelican left the atmosphere as the Winter Solstice came into view.

"I'm home."Mark whispered as he let out a mental 'hell yeah'.

The pilot pressed a few buttons and said into the radio "This is Pelican J Q dash four-niner requesting PTL." The radio was fuzzy, but a voice came through replying "Copy that four-niner, clearing the hangar bay now." The marines in the hangar dashed madly and barked orders to clear out as the pelican began to touch down.

"Alright guys, welcome home." the pilot shouted to the guys in the back as the cargo door opened up. Mark hopped out of the pelican to see Fleet Admiral Jameson Campbell waiting for him.

"Son, what you did down there was the most bravest thing I have ever witnessed; to be able to survive that long with Insurrectionist forces closing in on you, I won't forget that. For your act of true bravery, I have taken the liberty of upgrading your quarters. I wish I could give you a medal, but leave that to Hood. You now have a working shower, a very comfortable bed, and even a personal terminal. Now get cleaned up and get some rest, you've earned it."

Mark nodded his head in thanks as he said "Thank you Admiral, I am very grateful." Mark walked to his room where he would finally be at peace. He unlocked the door with his keycard and plopped himself onto his bed.

"God damn... he wasn't kidding when he said comfortable." Mark locked the door behind him as he stripped himself of his armor and dropped it to the floor, leaving him in his jumpsuit. He walked to his bathroom and found the shower to be quite luxurious. He shrugged as he stripped down to skin, revealing the wounds he earned in battle. He stepped in and turned the shower on, bathing away the weight of his loss.

After a few minutes, Mark turned the faucet off and wrapped himself in a towel. 'God… I haven't taken a good shower like that since... well when I was about 18.' He thought to himself. Mark slipped into a pair of shorts and a recon t-shirt as he slipped into bed and drifted to sleep.

* * *

June 4th, 2552 03:00 Hours

Mark woke to a knock at his door. 'Damnit... i just want some fucking sleep.' he thought to himself. Mark groggily stood up and answered the door.

"Um... sir, you wouldn't happen to... um... be Spartan B-312, would you?" The poor kid was shaking in fear. Mark practically towered over the guy, being 6'8" and all.

"Um... no. No I'm not. You... feelin ok?" Mark asked the boy.

"Uh.. yeah... yeah I'm... I'm fine." Mark just patted the young man on the back and sent him on his way.

'Who in the hell is Spartan B-312? Ah screw it, I need sleep' he thought. Mark slipped back into the covers and went back to sleep.

* * *

A few Hours Later

Mark was once again woken up by a knocking on the door. 'Fucking hell... I just want some sleep. Is that too much to ask?' Mark opened the door to find a young engineer; standard UNSC jumpsuit (Which showed off her curves very nicely), tall black boots, long brown hair, and those eyes; those gorgeous silver, blue eyes. 'No fucking way this is possible, it should be illegal to be this cute.' he thought to himself before the engineer spoke up.

"Um.. hi, my name's Krystal. You're Lieutenant Colonel O'Donnell, right?" she asked him.

"Uhh... yeah... yeah that's me."

"Well, the Admiral wanted you to head down to the armory. He said he has something there for you." Mark couldn't help it, but he was hypnotized by her beautiful eyes.

"Why don't you take a picture? It-"

"Yeah, yeah it'll last longer I know..."

Mark's face soon began to burn a bit at her remark. "I guess I should head down there then. Where is the armory exactly?" he asked her.

"Follow me. It should be around here." Mark walked down the hallway with Krystal untill they were hit by the smells coming from the mess hall.

"God damn... I'm starving. It can wait though, come on the armory should be close by." she said with a smile. They soon were met with the muffled sounds of rifle fire.

"Ahh the armory. So much brass, so much cleaning. Well, your package should be by the table over there."

She pointed towards a table with a black bag on top of it.

"What are you up to Admiral..." Mark let out a chuckle as he walked toward the bag.

"Let me know if you need me." Krystal said to him. Mark nodded and opened up the bag. Inside was a set of brand new ODST armor and a note. He took the note and it read:

"I figured you could use a new set of BDU, so I decided to get the jump on that. Make sure it shows who you are. You're a damn good soldier Mark, so be careful out there. -Adm. Campbell"

'You cheeky bastard... I knew you'd do something like this. Hell, I'm actually grateful for it.' he thought to himself before placing the armor on the table. He grabbed a few cans of spray paint and got to work, using his skill of art. The finished product was a jet black primary color, orange secondary, orange tribal markings spread across the upper body armor and helmet, and a skull carved into the visor (Not enough to damage the HUD).

'God damn... quite the talent I've got.' Mark snickered to himself as he slipped into the armor.

"Nice fit, I'm gonna enjoy this... " he said to himself.

"Wow... you look good in that." a voice popped in behind him.

"SHIT GIDEON, DON'T DO THAT!" Mark bellowed.

"Awww, did I scare ya mate? Man up, and always be alert."

"Er... sorry. I just need sleep." Gideon couldn't help but laugh at him. After all, he didn't know the hell Mark had been through.

"You're joking, right? You never sleep."

"Well, I have been alone on Eridanus for TWO AND A HALF FUCKING MONTHS!" Gideon was in shock at what Mark just told him.

"Quit bullshitin' me mate, ONI said you were in cryosleep, waiting for orders..."

"ONI is lying, Gideon... they always do that. I mean... look at my arm..." Mark slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing his various wounds now sealed with biofoam.

"Good... God... what did they do to ya mate? And what do you mean alone, didn't Alissa come back with you?" Mark hesitated for a moment and said "She was there in my arms... she died in my arms Gideon..."

"Mark... it's the past. You have to let g-"

"WE WERE GOING TO BE TOGETHER WHEN THIS WAR WAS OVER... just... give me some space... I need some time to think..."

"No time mate, we've got to gear up in a bit. Lord Hood wants us on reach."

"Wait... did you just say Reach, as in the planet Reach?" Mark asked with complete confusion.

"Yes, now if you'll be so kind as to get your head out of your arse, we need ya in the briefing room at 06:00. Take some guns and hurry up, don't want to drag your arse there like last time."

"Oh trust me, you won't..." Mark took a brief look around the room. There were weapons on racks everywhere, but something caught his eye: a drawer labeled 'Attachments'. A small smirk approached his face as he walked toward the drawer.

* * *

 **TA DAAA. Sorry if this is a bit short, but this is a first for me, and my brain is in crap mode. Let me know what you think by leaving a review, also a suggestion or two could help as well. On another note, ALL HATERS MUST HAVE A NORMAL IQ AND MUST AT LEAST LEAVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM TO HELP ME FIX MY WRITING OR GTFO. I bid you all good day,**

 **-Optic**

 **(EDIT** **) I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING CHAPTER 2 CALM YOUR TITS  
**


	2. Chapter 2: Briefing

**AN: You have all right to burn me at the stake for being so late, but CHILL. Reason I was so late was because I had to travel... a lot, also I had a major stroke of writer's block, but here it is (Finally...) Chapter 2 of Only Human! Now quit your whining and read it. P.S. thanks to Real Plasma and GameKidXXX for their support! Also thanks to everyone that is enjoying the story. Love you all. EDIT: SylentDoom is also a major supporter. You should read his story Endergirl, it's pretty sick. Love you bro(No homo). EDIT: Also thanks to my new co author, demonicalfox777, for saving my ass. Appreciate it.  
**

* * *

Chapter 2

 **The New Guys**

 **June 4th 2552 05** **:00 Hours**

Mark sprinted down the hallway, searching for Buck. The squad needed to be together in order to be briefed.I

"Dammit... Gid, you sure this is the way to his bunk?"

"Of course it is mate. Don't question me."

"Say that again, and I'll rip your spine out and shove it down your throat. Clear?" Mark asked with an annoyed tone.

Gideon froze and stood there with a stoic expression. He tried his best not to show fear, but this is a side of Mark that he has never seen beforehandre.

"S-solid copy."

Gideon shook his head as he lead Mark to Buck's room. As they opened the door, they felt that something was wrong, and they were prepared for it. Both Mark and Gideon readied their MA5B/S's as they peeked through the entryway.

"Buck? Where you at man?"

No response.

Gideon decided to chime in. "Buck, mate, get out here before I drag yer sorry arse out myself."

Still no reply.

Mark shoved Gideon aside as he pulled the bolt of his rifle back, making his way into the bathroom. Nothing. Not a sign of Buck anywhere. He had been gone for a few hours already.

"Nothing... let's go. He might be there already."

"Aye mate."

The two helljumpers slipped out of his room to bump into Sergeant Edward Buck.

"What the hell guys, do you always go into my room without me saying it's okay?" Buck asked angrily.

"Do you always run off whenever we have a briefing to go to? Oh wait... you do."

"He was probably talking to that Veronica girl again. C'mon mate, this ain't a time for lovey-dovey shite."

"How come Mark gets to hit o-"

Buck was interrupted with a smack to the back of the head. Gideon pulled his hand back shook it near his neck, indicating this was not the time to talk about it. Buck just rubbed his head and rolled his eyes.

"So where are we dropping?" Buck asked.

"If you would have been at the briefing we would have known by now. We're late, and I hate being late."

"I see your point..."

Mark, Gideon, and Buck exchanged looks for a moment, then silently headed for the mission briefing room. Along the way, they made little to no conversation whatsoever, keeping the tension low. It seemed like forever, but the squad finally made it to the BR.

In the center of the room was a large monitor, and on it was the old, war-battered face of Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood himself. Captain Campbell turned to the ODSTs with a bit of an annoyed expression.

"You're late men, I thought you'd gone AWOL."

Mark rubbed his temples in annoyance. "Apologies sir, but **someone** decided not to join us..."

"Ah no trouble Corporal, let's just get down to business. Admiral, take the spotlight."

Lord Hood nodded in thanks. "Alright gentlemen, word on the streets says that Insurrectionist forces are attacking comm relays on Reach. I want you to drop, see what's going on, and take care of it. If there are any rebels, take them out, and report in. There are relays scattered from outside New Alexandria, to the small villages near the southern ice shelves, so this may take a while. However, you won't be alone. You will be assisting spartan team Noble, making sure that each relay is secure. I'm counting on you Shock Troopers. Good luck out there."

Mark answered with a nod as the monitor went blank, allowing Captain Campbell to speak.

"Alright, you got that message in your terminal, correct?"

Mark let out a firm nod. "Yes sir."

"Then give them the rest of the info."

Mark gave a firm salute before turning to his squad-mates. "Okay, we're dropping in by nightfall with a light-class meteor shower, so that gives us time to plan. Once we-"

Mark was interrupted with the opening of a door. Three figures stepped into the room, dressed in ODST BDU. The figure on the left was tall and bulky; his armor consisting of brick and maroon, almost appearing as a brick wall. The one in the center was most eye-catching. She was a young woman; her figure was thin, yet tough; her curves were forbidden by her chestplate; her armor sporting magenta and pink. The one on the right was a very tactical fellow. His helmet had retractable optics; a bandolier of sniper rounds stretched across his torso; his armor was stained with blue, cyan, and ice.

All three of the helljumpers simultaneously saluted to Mark.

"217th recruits, reporting for duty, sir!" They all shouted.

"At ease recruits, you're just in time."

Gideon gave him a confused look. "Recruits? You never told me about any recruits. Buck?"

"I'm just as confused as you are Gid. When were you gonna tell us sir?"

Mark looked at them both as he calmly said "It was gonna be a surprise."

Buck let out a snicker. "Surprise my ass, now seriously, when were you gonna tell us?"

Mark stood silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I was going to tell you, but Hood said they'd be on the ground already. Guys, meet your new squad-mates: David, Kari, and Logan.

Gideon took a long look at the three, making mental notes of them.

"Don't be shy rookies, helmets off. We're all friends here." Buck reassured the recruits.

Toni and Logan both took off their helmets, but David stood still, ignoring Buck's request.

A deep voice boomed. "Negative sir. I'd prefer if I kept it on."

"Whoa... looks like someone's loaded up on testosterone... that's one hell of a voice... suit yourself."

Mark looked up to Kari and Logan's faces, struck with a little bit of amazement.

"Never expected my squad to be filled with models, but we aren't just about pretty faces now... no, it's a lot more than that. Now... let's get down to business. Kari, service number and call sign!"

Kari straightened her stance as she responded loud and clear "55321-36584-KC! Call sign "Pit Viper", sir!"

"At ease, recruit. Hmm... Pit Viper... why?"

"My speed and agility, sir!"

Mark was interested in her skill set, wondering what other surprises were in store.

"Okay, so I got you down. David, service number and call sign!"

David stiffened up and saluted. "03668-92415-DH! Call sign "Tank", sir!

Mark's brow arched. "I can see why... what's your specialty weapons-wise?"

"Rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, you name it." David replied in a boastful tone.

Mark nodded. "Okay, heavy weapons specialist. Nice. Logan, service number and call sign!"

Logan straightened his posture. "83595-92450-LP! Call sign "Deadshot", sir!"

Buck sneered at the helljumper. "Lemme guess... marksman, right?"

Logan abruptly nodded.

"Fall in for mission briefing." Mark stated in a firm tone that left no time for any second guessing who's in charge. The new recruits gave nods and then fell in line in front of mark and the briefing began anew.

"Like I was saying, we'll drop in at nightfall with a light-class meteor shower, so with the cover of night and the meteor shower we'll have the element of surprise. We'll be dropping in about two miles out from Noble Team's base camp. Once we regroup, we'll head towards them and assist them with their mission. They have yet to receive orders and won't until roughly the same time we're supposed to meet up. That means that we'll be going in blind on the mission in terms of the little details. What we know we will be doing is assisting Noble Team in finding the local rebels and dealing with them. While the team of Spartans is one of the best they don't have the numbers to cover the entire country side so we'll be splitting up in a joint operation. Is that clear?"

Mark finished the briefing. He received various nods from the others and then they split up. They didn't have to be in the pod hangar for the mission for a few hours yet, so they had some time to kill.

The new recruits said something about hitting the gym for some warm ups before the mission. Buck went off to god knows where, probably to go talk to the Veronica woman that he was talking with earlier, and Gideon said he was going to hit up the mess hall for some grub. And Mark decided that he wanted some more sleep before this mission began so he filed back to his quarters and plopped his tired body onto his bed.

He set an alarm to wake him up about forty-five minutes before they were set to drop. That would give him plenty of time to gear up and get to the pod hangar with plenty of time to go over the mission one last time before they dropped. This was shaping up to be one hell of a couple days. Get back from two months alone fighting off the innies and now gearing up to drop on Reach to assist Spartans in a seek and destroy mission after only being back for a little bit.

Yep, definitely shaping up to be a hell of a few days…

AN: Merry Christmas guys… please don't kill me…


End file.
